Content about RIPON

RIPON, Wis. — Net revenues for Alliance Laundry Holdings LLC, the parent company of Alliance Laundry Systems, were $126.6 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, an 11% increase from third-quarter 2011.

Third-quarter net income was $11.4 million, compared to $3.4 million for third-quarter 2011. Adjusted EBITDA was $26.1 million compared to $20.3 million during the same period one year ago.

The overall net-revenue increase of $12.5 million was attributable to revenue increases in the United States and Canada ($10.3 million), Latin America ($1.6 million), Asia ($1.2 million) and the Middle East and Africa ($2.0 million). These increases were partially offset by lower Europe revenues of $2.6 million.

The overall net-income increase of $8 million for the third quarter was primarily attributable to improved operating income of $9.9 million and a decrease in interest expense of $3 million, partially offset by increased income-tax provision of $4.9 million.

Net revenues for the nine months ended Sept. 30 increased $36.5 million, or 10.8%, to $372.7 million compared to the first three quarters of 2011. Net income for the period increased $9 million, to $22.9 million.

“Despite challenging global economic conditions, revenues were again strong during the third quarter and have continued to build towards a higher baseline level of demand for Alliance products over the longer term,” says CEO and President Michael Schoeb. “Our ongoing business performance should continue to improve due to our strong cadence of new products, the benefits of our strategic initiatives and positive trends in vended laundry around the globe.”

Alliance’s announced expansion at its Ripon facility “will help ensure that we meet our customers’ expectations to deliver outstanding equipment on schedule.”

Alliance Laundry Systems designs, manufactures and markets commercial laundry equipment under the brand names of Speed Queen, UniMac, Huebsch, IPSO and Cissell.

INWOOD, N.Y., and RIPON, Wis. — Superstorm Sandy impacted New York, New Jersey and other areas along the East Coast, causing catastrophic damage. At a time when vended laundries in those areas are assessing the disaster’s impact on them, some equipment providers are offering special recovery programs.

Laundrylux and Alliance Laundry Systems have each announced programs that offer deferred payments and interest and no fees on equipment purchases made by qualified laundries.

Qualifying businesses purchasing Electrolux or Wascomat equipment under distributor Laundrylux’s Disaster Recovery Program can make no payments for up to six months and pay no interest for up to 12 months. All associated fees will be waived.

The program is available in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia or West Virginia. Interested parties should call Laundrylux at 800-645-2205 to learn more.

Alliance Laundry Systems’ Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief program allows owners to replace their damaged washers and dryers with no payments or interest for up to four months, no loan fees, and a cash allowance to assist with installation costs. Additionally, there is no prepayment penalty if customers choose to pay off their loan in full with reimbursement they may eventually receive from FEMA or their insurer.

The program is available to qualifying businesses in New York and New Jersey, but Alliance Laundry says it will review other situations and offer the finance program to other affected Laundromats on a case-by-case basis.

Local owners who were impacted by the storm can contact Metropolitan Laundry Machinery (Huebsch distributor) at 800-214-9200 or 800-214-9300 in New York or 800-728-0001 in New Jersey, or Super Laundry (Speed Queen distributor) at 888-678-9274 in New York or 800-992-7269 in New Jersey for eligibility requirements and more details.

Sandy’s impact hits close to home for Laundrylux, based in Inwood, N.Y. “We have personally witnessed the devastation in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states and our hearts go out to the millions of people affected by Hurricane Sandy,” says Laundrylux CEO Neal Milch. “Our families have been affected, too, so we understand personally what our customers are going through.”

Laundrylux says it is reaching out to distributors and customers to make it as affordable as possible for self-service laundry owners, as well as hotels, nursing homes, etc., to get the equipment they need right away.

“Laundries that are able to serve affected populations will be running at maximum capacity and as power is restored elsewhere, laundries may need to replace equipment destroyed by salt water,” says Milch. “We have inventory stockpiled for immediate shipment as needed.”

“Dealing with the aftermath of a storm of such epic proportions is incredibly challenging, and we want to help those in need get back to normal as soon as possible,” says Mike Schoeb, CEO of Alliance Laundry Systems. “We know the value a Laundromat provides a community, particularly when people are struggling with the kind of disruption this storm has caused. As the market leader, we are glad we are able to act quickly to help our customers.”

RIPON, Wis. — Commercial laundry equipment manufacturer IPSO has presented its 2011 Award of Excellence to Washington Automated, a distributor headquartered in Everett, Wash.

“Washington Automated exhibits all the traits that make a distributor exceptional—sales, service and support,” says Dave Phillips, North American sales manager for IPSO. “Their staff is a great example of outstanding representation of the IPSO brand. We appreciate their dedication and congratulate their whole team on winning this award.”

IPSO presents the annual award to the distributor that excels in sales, service, training, and support of the manufacturer and its customers.

John George founded Washington Automated in 1969, and his company has been an IPSO distributor since 2010. Before adding the IPSO vended line, the company was predominately focused on supplying and servicing on-premise laundry accounts.

Washington Automated employs approximately 20 staff members in two offices—its headquarters in Everett and a branch office in Portland, Ore. The distributor provides services for Washington, Oregon and northern Idaho.

The company credits the success of its vended laundry products largely to Michael Kelson, a 15-year industry veteran who leads Washington Automated’s sales department for this business sector and has been instrumental in expanding its offerings.

“We’ve never been well known in the coin industry, but this award proves that with the right people, like Michael, and equipment, we can succeed,” says George.

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems has promoted William Bittner to vice president of Customer One, the company’s global initiative focused on customer service and satisfaction, and selected Dan Bowe to replace Bittner as national sales manager of Speed Queen’s commercial division.

“Bill has been a valuable asset to this organization for many years and his experience with sales and customer relations made him an ideal candidate for this role,” says Mike Schoeb, president and CEO of Alliance Laundry Systems. “I am confident that Bill will be a positive driving force leading Customer One on a global scale.”

Customer One is the cornerstone of Alliance’s customer service strategy, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining a customer-focused culture by consistently meeting customers’ demands for superior product quality and reliability while providing comprehensive and responsive service. The program ensures best practices in manufacturing, provides essential services and offers continuous training.

Bittner has been with the company for more than 13 years, holding various senior positions. He was instrumental in reclaiming Speed Queen’s position as the premium brand in the vended laundry space, Alliance says.

“I look forward to leading one of Alliance’s most highly regarded programs,” says Bittner. “Putting the customer first is more than a slogan; it is the way we do business.”

Bowe will oversee regional sales managers, develop policies and procedures, cultivate distributor partnerships, and participate in the development of new Speed Queen products and services.

Since joining Alliance in 1996, he has held a variety of senior sales and marketing positions. He has particular expertise in manufacturing, distribution services and advancements in card technologies, according to Alliance.

“We welcome Dan’s broad experience and in-depth industry knowledge and look forward to having him at the helm of the Speed Queen brand,” says Jeff Brothers, senior vice president of North American sales.

RIPON, Wis. — Self-service laundry owners have approximately two months left to take advantage of 2010 Tax Relief Act incentives, according to Alliance Laundry Systems, a manufacturer of commercial laundry equipment.

The tax incentive allows laundry store owners to get 100% bonus depreciation when they purchase new equipment and place it into service in 2011. Bonus depreciation is not limited to taxable income; it can create a net operating loss that can be carried back two years to offset taxable income in those years and result in an immediate tax refund, Alliance says.

There is no cap on the amount of equipment that can be depreciated under this provision.

The Section 179 Deduction limit has been raised to $500,000. A business with total equipment purchases—both new and used—that don’t exceed $2 million can expense the first $500,000 (subject to certain limitations) of those purchases for the 2010 and 2011 tax years.

Store owners can combine 100% bonus depreciation with the Section 179 Deduction for purchases incorporating both new and used equipment. Additionally, for the first time, certain leasehold improvements, such as updating or refurbishing a laundry, will qualify for bonus depreciation, Alliance says.

These tax incentives dramatically accelerate cash flow and reduce the time it takes to pay back the investment on new equipment, the company adds.

For more information about these incentives, it’s recommended that you contact a professional tax adviser.

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems has streamlined its in-house loan process with a new online credit application.

New investors interested in opening a vended laundry, existing store owners and laundry facility managers can apply for loans of up to $100,000 using the new online credit application. The system is designed for ease of use, safety and security, and applicants will receive a response within one business day, Alliance says.

The application is available through Alliance’s brand financial programs—Speed Queen Financial Services, UniMac Funding, Huebsch Financial Services and IPSO Finance. For more information, visit the following sites, and click on the Finance tab: www.speedqueen.com, www.unimac.com, www.huebsch.com, www.ipso.com.